Wild parkers

Flood of parking tickets for parents after children’s tournament

The stumbling block: the redesigned square in front of the Salzburg-Leopoldskron elementary school(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The Salzburg soccer club UFC Leopoldskron-Moos lacks space - above all, the need for parking spaces for fans and officials has escalated. As the past weekend proves...

UFC Leopoldskron-Moos has been at home in Salzburg's Moosstraße for 40 years. And there has always been a shortage of space. The dressing rooms, the two soccer pitches and the huts on the edge of the pitch are bursting at the seams. Now the club, known for its work with young talent, is faced with a new problem: A lack of parking spaces.

"We have 15 parking spaces for coaches and players behind the school. But only when the school is not in session," says Lepi-Moos chairman Wolfgang Mayer. Since the extension of the elementary school and redesign of the forecourt, the club has been missing 15 more parking spaces. Parents and visitors now often park wildly, to the annoyance of the school and local residents.

"There is nothing we can do"
Things got out of hand at an U7 and U8 tournament with 100 children last weekend. Cars were parked in the school field, on the cycle path and in fields. The police handed out dozens of parking tickets to offenders. "It was anything but ideal," says Mayer.

The 150 children in the club and especially their parents are still dependent on the annoying search for a parking space. Or the bus. However, the bus only runs to school and the soccer club every half hour at weekends.

The magistrate is also aware of the issue, and Lepi-Moos is desperately crying out for help. "The club can't be blamed. But there's nothing we can do, there's no more space on site," says Jutta Kodat, the head of the school authority responsible. A gate for the school parking lot will be installed soon, and officials from the association will still be allowed to park there. For the first time, the whole thing will be contractually regulated.